A Game for Sinners and Fools
by Three-Steps-Ahead
Summary: "Are you frightened, my little minx? Of what I could do to you?" He wanted nothing more than to pin her beneath him and devour every last inch of desire that ignited her body. He wanted to introduce her to the faint line between pain and pleasure. He wanted to hear her scream his name as he moved in her, forcing her to the edge where she would cling to him to keep from falling.
1. Prologue

A Game for Sinners and Fools

Love is Like War: Easy to Begin, but Very Hard to Stop

-H.L. Mencken

Golden halls glistening from the glorious sunlight streaming through pillars of marble, even the endless winding hallways of Asgard's Palace gleamed as magnificently as the throne room. Every tile, every stone looked polished, as if untouched by the delicate fingers that reached out in curiosity. Despite their metallic gleam, the walls and floors were not cold, filled with warmth against the tiny hand that tentatively caressed it.

Clutching the silk of her father's blue cloak that glimmered brilliantly with each stride he took as he moved down the hallways, she scurried to keep up with him, overwhelmed by the beauty the palace beheld. Everything she had been told by her mother appeared to be a lie as the words she had heard seemed foolish in comparison to what her eyes beheld. Catching herself ogling, she cried out for her father to slow down since she feared being left behind.

When he turned around to embrace her while she ran over to him and threw her tiny arms around his legs, the sound of youthful voices echoed off the walls. She ducked behind her father, cloak grasped in her tiny hands as the Allfather strode up the stairway holding the hands of his sons who were talking excitedly.

"Bragi!" Odin welcomed his friend and comrade with clasp of hands that turned into a hug.

"You look none the older, Odin." Bragi smiled while glancing down at the two boys flanking the Allfather, "By Valhalla, the crown princes have grown so strong."

"I don't believe your daughter has met them." Odin pushed his boys forward, "This is Thor, and this is Loki."

The blonde stood up taller, puffing his chest out, but instead of announcing himself he became distracted by the pair of grey eyes staring at him. He inched forward, curious about the little girl that quickly hid back behind her father's cloak, "Is that a faerie, Milord?"

Bragi began to laugh, disentangling his daughter from her hold on his cloak despite her silent protests.

Loki smacked Thor's arm, angry with his brother's carelessness, "Don't be rude. Faeries are associated with Dark Elves!"

Bragi's daughter was pouting as he forced her to stand in front of him, but when Loki walked up and took her hand, she seemed to smile. He kissed her hand, though it left her furiously blushing and unable to form words.

"I'm Loki." He smiled cheerfully at her, "It's a pleasure to meet you-"

"Sigyn." She bit her bottom lip, "My name's Sigyn."

"That's very pretty."

Loki was soon nudged aside by an impatient Thor, who took Sigyn's hand and kissed it as well, "I'm Thor."

She wrinkled her nose at him until her father gently pinched her arm, "It's lovely to meet you…"

Bragi chuckled, looking over at Odin, who appeared pleased as his boys had not forgotten their manners. He cleared his throat, "Well, that's settled then. Sigyn had very dearly wanted to meet the crown princes."

Sigyn went back to her silent pouting, bashing her little fists into her father's thigh for embarrassing her. Odin and her father shared a deep laugh that only made her blush darker until she heard Loki's calm voice.

"I had wanted to meet you as well."

Grey eyes meeting blue, Sigyn felt her lips pull apart to a smile. Taking her father's hand, she followed after him even though the two princes decided they ought to run off and play a game. Despite their invitation, Sigyn wanted to stay with her father though her eyes didn't leave Loki's until they were too far down the hallway that she couldn't see him very well.

Thor punched his brother in the shoulder as they raced outside into the gardens, "You've got a crush on Sigyn!"

Loki rolled his eyes, not at all in the mood to deal with his brother's taunting, "One of these days you'll be jealous of our friendship."

"Friendship would mean you have to spend time with her." Thor stuck his tongue out, "I don't see _that_ happening."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"Have you seen Bragi's daughter?"

"I heard she is the mirror image of her mother."

"Oh, but she has the fighting spirit of her father."

"That would suite her ill! She'll scare away any courtiers!"

"I'm sure any man would overlook her battle prowess so that he may claim her beauty as his own."

"The crown prince ought to win her hand."

"You do mean Thor!"

"Why of course! He's a valiant warrior such as her taste."

The servants' whispers hushed as she strode around the corner and into the hallway, clutching several books against her chest. Glaring at them as she passed, she hoped they would silence their gossiping with the threat of what she would unleash upon them if she caught them again. She strode outside where two stone archways gave way to a marvelous garden where birds were singing and the sunlight was ever its warmest.

Losing her sandals as she walked, she reveled in the cushioning of the grass beneath her feet. She felt weightless, and for once the cares of the court were not of concern. She wanted to hear no more talk of her future that seemed to be preordained by her mother's reputation. For the moment, she only needed the solace of a shaded tree and the books the AllFather had allowed for her to borrow from his extensive library.

Nestled beneath a tree farthest away from the stone archways, she set her books next to herself and opened the first one. Girls her age found interest in fairytales and mythology, stories of valiant warriors, daring swordfights, and beautiful damsels. But none of that was of any importance to her. She read books on the strategies employed by the great kings of Asgard in their pursuit of protecting the nine realms.

One day, as she told herself a thousand times over in her prayers at night, she would be a great military leader as her father had been. She had been cursed by being born a woman. She had as stout a heart as any young warrior, and no one seemed to doubt her ability with a sword. But she was doomed to become a lady of the court if her mother had her way.

The prospect of being paraded around as the most beautiful woman in Asgard was less daunting than the chances of her being wed to a crown prince. She was of the courting age at sixteen, which made her miss those days where she'd run around the palace with her two dearest friends. And to think that the servants' gossip suggested that Thor would ask for her hand in marriage! He was like a brother to her, and admittedly she found him to be quite obnoxious.

Shaking her head while flipping the page of her book, something began to glint in the corner of her eye. With a glance to her left, she was startled by a tiny green light dancing before her eyes. She squinted to get a better look, making out the image of a faerie that was spinning around so that her wings tickled her nose. When she began to laugh, the illusion faded into the sunlight. She frowned for a moment until she heard the rustling of tree branches. Looking up, she smiled as Loki lowered himself down to the ground.

"Alas, I have found the elusive Sigyn," he jested.

She nudged her shoulder with his when he sat beside her, "You know me too well."

"I make it my duty to know your whereabouts." He laughed to himself, "It allows me to assist you in hiding from my brother."

"I might need that later tonight…" She decided to close her book, knowing she wasn't going to read it much with Loki having joined her, "Are you excited for your celebration?"

Loki shrugged, "Another birthday shared with my brother? Not nearly as thrilling as it sounds."

"So you don't like having the entire court summoned to an occasion meant for just you and your brother?"

"Well…the attention is worthwhile, but only from some people."

He eyed her for a moment, earning a blush from her face while she tried to brush off his implication, "Already considering a potential wife?"

"What?!" He tried to laugh through his embarrassment at that suggestion, "I'm only in my seventeenth year. Besides…" He nudged her with his shoulder, "You should be the one concerned about marriage-"

"Thor does _not_ count as a suitor!" she wailed, trying to tune out his laughter.

"Oh, but he's _so_ smitten with you!" He grabbed her wrists to keep her from punching him, "And according to the servant's talk, he's just your type!"

"Loki, I'm going to throttle you!"

"I heard Thor prefers that kind of foreplay-"

"Loki!"

"I'm sure he'd _love_ to hear you scream his name like that-"

She finally broke her hand free and landed a punch to his chest, knocking him backwards into the grass, though he pulled her down with himself. Lying overtop him, she struggled to keep punching him, but he had taken her wrists again and rolled over top her to pin her down. Hair fanning out across the lush green grass, she wrinkled her nose at his apparent victory. As children, this would have been a simple wrestling match that she had ultimately lost with a pout as usual.

But he didn't release her. Instead, he leaned back a bit, seemingly admiring the way she lay beneath him still seething from being in a compromising position. Her chest heaved as she tried to subside her frustration, her cheeks a rosy pink the longer he stared down at her. Her arms sprawled above her head locked beneath his grasp made him shiver as he imaged her wrists bound in silk to the head of his bed.

"I do believe this is the first time _I've_ pinned you," he chirped.

There was something different this time and it was making her stomach tie up in knots. She hadn't ever realized just how blue his eyes were, icy and cold, piercing and contemptuous. She blushed, alarmed by the feel of his hips shifting so her thighs parted to rise against his waist, "Fortunate for you that I do not have my sword."

"I'm sure I'd be losing my manhood if you did."

"Among other things…"

"Oh? And what else?" He let her wrists go, tickling the exposed skin of her neck with his fingertip as he dragged out a caress that lit her cheeks scarlet, "I can't say there's much of me that's worth removing."

"Your mouth would be second," she hissed.

"My mouth has many uses, Sigyn." He chuckled at her perturbed expression, "It doesn't just tease with words…"

"Loki!" She gave him a forceful shove, throwing him backwards and off herself while he howled with laughter, "What's gotten into you?"

In between his breathless gasps to control himself, he chuckled, "Ah, Sigyn, I simply jest."

Her heart was thundering and she was wondering what it would have been like to kiss him or to kiss any boy for that matter. What else would that damned mouth of his be good for? He was always taunting and lying his way around the palace. But having been pinned beneath him on the grass, she wanted him to steal her first kiss, claim it as his prize that his brother could never have.

"You aren't angry, are you?"

She shook her head, "How could I be angry with you?"

"You were threatening my manhood…"

"Alas, I jest as well." She waved her hand dismissively as he sighed with relief. Standing and retrieving her books, she decided it was best she return home as the sun was setting, "I shall see you this evening."

"So you _are_ coming?" He seemed to perk up at that, "Don't forget my present!"

She scowled at him, "Be glad I even show up."

Watching her leave struck his chest, a dull panging that sunk his heart. He wasn't sure at what point he noticed that drop of his stomach and the shiver that streaked down his spine as her womanly silhouette vanished from view. She was stunning, despite her protests and desire to be seen as something other than the daughter of the Sunshine of Valhalla. He'd never laid eyes on her mother, but seeing Sigyn was proof enough to him that the divinely beautiful creatures of myth and legend did walk amongst them.

. . . .

She hid behind the curtained pillars of the hallway leading into ballroom where all of Asgard was gathered. Hoping her parents wouldn't come looking for her, she glanced down at the dress she had been forced into by her vain mother who thought now of all times she ought to look her best for Thor. She was practically naked, draped in sheer white silk that was stitched with dark green vines entwining with one another and silvery blue flowers blossoming from them to obscure her maidenhood. Blush pink doves stretched their wings to cover her blooming breasts, stitched also into the sheer skirt and at her hips.

She may as well have shown up naked as she felt there was no difference. She hated drawing attention to herself outside of her battle prowess, wanting a few more years to deny her womanhood. But her body was dictating otherwise as full hips and budding breasts were developing further. Pressing her back against the wall, she breathed steadily as nausea warped her vision. Escaping to the garden seemed a better idea, but guilt settled in her stomach at the thought of disappointing her best friends.

Watching the shadows of passing nobles, she peeked out from behind the curtain and began creeping behind them so as to go unnoticed. If she could avoid being announced by the herald, she would be saved one less embarrassment on the evening. But as she came close to the entrance of the ballroom, she heard someone sigh behind her, an exaggerated sound to draw her attention. Abruptly spinning around, nearly tripping on the train of her dress, her skin grew hot enough to melt off her cheekbones as she turned her eyes to the floor to avoid looking at Loki's dropped jaw and wide eyes.

"You look…" He cleared his throat, gathering himself a moment, "Exquisite."

She absentmindedly began tugging at her blonde hair that had been straightened to pass below her chest, "Have you only just noticed?"

Loki bit his lip, scowling as he drew blood, unsure of how to approach her. Just noticed? Never. He'd been admiring her ascent into maidenhood from afar, but she looked delectable in front of him, a blushing cherry blossom afraid of the sunlight. He wanted to pluck her from the tree and press her velvet petals to his lips. Slowly regaining his senses, he sketched a deep bow to her, "My apologies. I have been a fool all these years, only seeing the warrior in my best friend, not the girl flowering into womanhood."

She shook her head in hopes he wouldn't see the scarlet in her cheeks, "A fool indeed…" Turning around in a desperate attempt to find an escape from the suffocating heat that enveloped her, she felt Loki grab her elbow in a gentle, but firm grip. Her voice caught in her throat when she met his ice blue eyes that she had only begun to notice were so beautiful and gentle. His simple smile made her heart surge in her chest and beat with the wings of the doves on her gown.

"May this fool have the honor of escorting you tonight?" he whispered as his fingers slid down her forearm to take her hand.

Feigning insult to regain her usual haughty demeanor, she curtly replied, "The fool may not." When his brows knitted together and his smile dropped, she slid her arm around his, "But my dearest friend may have that honor."

His face lit up and he stood a little taller with his chest puffed out. Each step toward the opened doors of the ballroom made her stomach twist into knots, but seeing Loki's brimming smile made all the butterflies flutter off. As they crossed the threshold where the nobles of Asgard gathered, the entire room swept into a hush, all movement halted and all sound dissipated. Her spine went rigid, her muscles tensing, she had started holding her breath as the herald cleared his throat and bellowed,

"Presenting Loki, Prince of Asgard, son of the AllFather and Queen Frigga. On his arm, I present Sigyn, daughter of Commander Bragi and Iðunn, the Sunshine of Valhalla."

She had finally stopped holding her breath as soon as the herald stopped speaking, but Loki bringing her hand up to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to her skin swept her breath away. Staring up at him, watching as his mouth lingered for a moment, she discovered a newfound liking in the feeling that warmed her chest and ignited a flame of desire in her body. She wanted to be swept against him, wanted to taste the kiss her hand had stolen, but was distracted as he began walking down the red carpeted steps into the throng of nobles that parted as they passed.

Her steps hitched as she tried to ignore each hissed compliment that she was the spitting image of her mother while others chided that she had designs to sit upon Asgard's throne by gaining the courtship of the princes. They accused her of leading Loki and Thor on, but the claims were silenced by those that remembered her first love was war and she would fight to become Lord General like her father.

She only began to feel at ease when she came to stand before Odin, who rose from his throne to embrace his son. Glancing to her right, she saw her parents smiling as they raised their chalices to her. She offered them a wave with her fingers, though her attention was diverted when Frigga spoke.

"You look lovely, Sigyn."

Spine stiffening again, Sigyn quickly fell into a curtsy not as eloquent as she had practiced, "Thank you, Your Grace."

"You look more like your mother each day."

"I sincerely hope so."

She bowed her head as she scurried off to where her father and mother sat, burying herself in her father's chest as he opened his arms to embrace her.

"Did Prince Loki convince you to join the celebration?" Bragi asked.

Sigyn glanced over her shoulder, catching Loki's envious stare and the glimmer of desire to hold her even as her father did, "He played a part in it."

"Have you seen Prince Thor?" her mother chimed, reaching a polished finger out to trace the jawline of her daughter, "I'm sure he'd be speechless once he lays eyes on you."

Sigyn wrinkled her nose, "I think Thor is more preoccupied chasing servant girls and barmaids."

"Oh I'm sure he'll come to his senses."

Rolling her eyes, she dismissed herself from her mother's prodding to find where Loki had scurried off to. The last person in the entire kingdom she wanted to see was Thor when he was in a drunken courting mood. She offered smiles and pleasantries with each noble man and woman who tugged at her arm, weaving through the shining hall. Considering taking a chalice of wine from a passing servant, she was stopped by his deep voice resonating in her ears.

"Is that a faerie, my lords and ladies?"

She let a growl vibrate in her throat to avoid laughing as she met the dark blue eyes of Odin's firstborn, "Have you forgotten that faeries are associated with Dark Elves?"

Thor grinned cheek to cheek, "Tart with me as usual."

"Only when you disrespect me."

"Even when I have come to spare you a compliment?" He seemed pleased that she didn't dismiss him or scamper off, and he took the moment brush his fingers across her cheek and sweep away a stray strand of hair from her eyes, "You truly are the most beautiful woman to grace Valhalla's halls."

"I believe that honor belongs to my mother."

"Ah, but she's much too old for me!" Thor choked down his laugh when she glared at him, brows knitted above stormy grey eyes, "I simply jest, Sigyn."

She looked away from his eyes as they softened, wanting to avoid being captivated by the tender concern that crossed his face, "Save your jokes for another night. I don't have time to throttle you as I normally would when you insult me."

He seemed amused by her sharp reply, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips, "Then what do we have time for tonight? I could bathe you in words of admiration of the beauty you have let grace this hall. I could feed you delicacies of my wistful affections meant only to pleasure you. I could whisk you away from the hundreds of eyes that hungrily watch you so that I may be the only one to worship your flawless visage."

Her muscles were taut as he pressed a kiss to the top of her hand, cursing his name over and over in her head. Where had he learned to speak of longing? And why was it that she wanted him to sweep her into his arms and carry her off to his bedchambers. She began to wonder what had become of his body, now hardened by war and manhood. She wanted to find each scar and hear the story that left it there to mar his skin. She wanted to kiss each bruise and cut as if she could heal him after his tireless battles.

Tearing herself away from him without so much as a "goodbye", she searched for a servant carrying a tray of chalices. Unsure of which wine she would be tasting, she anxiously gulped down the warm, red liquid, though was left with a scowl at the bitter aftertaste that made her mouth run dry. She found it hard to breathe as she fought to subside the pit of want in her stomach that threatened to tear her apart from the inside. Eyes panning across the room in hopes that she had lost Thor in her desperate attempt to flee from her sudden emotions, she darted toward the farthest corner of the chamber to avoid being asked to dance as music began to play.

She leaned her back against the wall, sighing at the cold stone that extinguished the fire between her legs. Keening her ear towards the music, she tried to avoid thinking about the unknown realm of her sexuality that she had yet to explore. But Loki and Thor had awoken the awareness of her womanhood with words and gestures she once scoffed at.

"You don't look so well." Jumping in alarm, she offered Loki a smile as he fought past nobles that wished him "Happy Birthday". He straightened out his leather tunic and offered her a bow, "Might I have this dance?"

Her eyes widened, "You know I'm not proficient at dancing…"

His laughter brought back those butterflies from earlier, and she became focused on how his lips moved to form his next words, "Well, neither am I, so we would make a fine pair!"

He held his hand out to her, and she felt obligated to take it despite her earlier protest. Trailing a step behind him, she nearly tripped when he spun her under his arm before pulling her against his chest. She immediately pushed off from him when she saw that none of the other nobles were dancing so close. Palms pressed together as they circled each other, she nervously glanced at the couples surrounding them to catch their cues with the music. When Loki's arm slipped around her waist and held her loosely, she began to regret the space she forced between them.

As they spun around and around, Sigyn became aware of how close he had brought her against his chest. His hands grasped her waist and he lifted her into the air, completing a half turn before setting her back on her feet. A bit unsteady, she laughed when he spun her once more under his arm and she tripped against him.

He steadied her with his fingertips pressing into her hips, feeling for her skin beneath the sheer fabric of her dress. Staring down at her, he could see small rivulets of sweat forming at the edge of her hair and pooling in the hollow of her throat. The oil she bathed her skin in blinded his sense of smell, clouding his mind with succulent pomegranates and lavender nectar.

"I thought you weren't proficient at dancing?" Sigyn giggled.

"I had to say something to make you agree to dance with me."

She stood up on her toes, pressing her lips to his cheek and leaving an imprint of gossamer pink, "Happy Birthday, Loki."

She left him there, surrounded by dancing nobles as she went to find her parents. Disappointed that her father was conversing with Odin and her mother was gossiping amongst the noblewoman, she glanced over her shoulder to see Loki still staring at her. His face burst bright with color as he bowed his head and hurried off. She seated herself at one of the blue clothed tables and accepted a chalice of wine. Sipping it slowly this time, she was pleased that she had been given a wine rosier in color.

"Join me for a dance, my fiery faerie?"

Rolling her eyes as Thor nearly tripped in his bow to her, "I don't think you're sober enough to dance."

"Of course I am!" He drained his wine and took her hand when he tossed his goblet aside, "Do you deny me this chance?"

Even she couldn't help her laugh this time, "And what chance would this be?"

He leaned his face down to hers and she shied away from his wine stale breath, "The chance to hold you in my arms as my brother had so that I may sweep you off your feet."

Allowing him to pull her from her seat, she followed each of his unsteady steps as they walked to the center of the ballroom. He captured her waist with one arm, holding her tightly against himself as his hand slid from her shoulder to her forearm and closed her fingers over his. He led her through several turns, her skin running cold when he would spin her out of his arms, though returned her with more fervor each time. The music quieted the longer she stared up into his eyes and she laughed when he dropped her into a dip. She clung to his shoulders, almost afraid she would fall. But he had grown so strong over the years for her to only notice now as the ballroom hushed to leave them at peace with their fluttering hearts.

He pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he breathed in her scent, but she gave him a gentle push until he returned her upright. His hands slid up to her forearms and held her steady in case she tried to flee, "I meant no disrespect when I complimented you earlier. You left in such a rush-"

"Only because I'd never been spoken to in such a way…" She reached up and brushed a strand of golden hair from his forehead, not wanting to obscure his blue eyed gaze she began to admire, "Perhaps that shan't be the last time I hear such tempting words from your mouth?"

"Perhaps you would let me tempt you with something else?"

Fingers dragging beneath her chin, he titled her head up as he lowered his lips against hers. A rush of heat ripped through her chest, igniting desire in her stomach and fire between her legs. Her arms swung around his neck as he deepened their kiss, his tongue flicking against hers, tasting of wine and lust. His hand buried in her hair as he tilted her head to the side to better explore the warm, wet crevices of her mouth. She drew away, maddened by the pulsing in her body that ached for his skin sliding over hers in frantic lovemaking.

"Not what you expected, my lascivious faerie?"

She licked her lips, blushing when he softly moaned as he watched her tongue, "For my first kiss, I wasn't sure what to expect."

"First kiss?" He smiled as she turned her gaze away, "I am honored to have unhallowed your chaste lips."

She sighed wistfully, "Where did you learn to speak like that?"

"Loki isn't the only one with secrets."

The music in the ballroom blasted back into her ears and she became aware of the hundreds of people who had been watching them. Pushing Thor away, Sigyn lifted up the skirt of her dress and fled from the ballroom. She elbowed past anyone who got in her way and shoved aside two of the palace guards as she hid behind the curtained pillars she had become acquainted with at the beginning of the evening.

Palms digging into her eyes, she furiously wiped away her tears. Her first kiss witnessed by the entire Asgardian court, stolen by that brutish pervert! Not once had she considered Thor to be the one to steal her breath or offer her beautiful words that left her swooning. But her heart was thudding until her head began to ache, praying that Loki hadn't seen them.

"I hear my brother is more charming when he's drunk."

Sigyn spun around, words fighting to form as she saw Loki standing behind her with that "know-it-all" smirk on his face, "Loki, it wasn't like that-"

"Oh, I'm sure." He shook his head, "Thor has a way of imposing himself on women."

"Yes…he can be quite demanding…"

Loki beckoned her to come closer with his finger, pleased to see her hesitantly close the space between them. He took her by the shoulders and shoved her up against the wall, muffling her astonished cries with his hand, "I can be quite demanding too, Sigyn." His hand dropped and traced over her quivering throat, silencing her with each tiny caress, "Thor steals yet another victory over me."

"It was just one kiss, Loki," she muttered.

"One kiss?" He laughed mirthlessly, breathing hotly against her cheeks, "One kiss he may forget by tomorrow."

"I hope that I am fortunate enough to do the same."

"Perhaps you should let me give you something you'll never forget." She braced her hands against his chest as he leaned his face closer to hers, but he lingered for a moment to let his lips prickle hers. He chuckled, "You're going to have to beg for it, Darling."

She felt empowered for a moment, amused by how Loki threw himself after her in his jealous rage. He just couldn't stand when Thor got anything before him. Her hands slid up his chest, but instead of hooking her arms around his neck, she slammed his helmet over his eyes. Loki tumbled back into the floor with a howl, tossing the horned thing to his right, "Begging isn't in my nature, Loki."

He stared up at her and grinned, despite his bruised pride, "Oh, I'll change that in a week."

"I dare you to try!" She sashayed around him, aroused by the hungry glare in his eyes that devoured her image as she circled her prey, "Don't get too jealous…" She disappeared beyond the curtains at the sound of her parents voices, barely hearing him whisper,

"Jealousy fuels my hunger for you…"

Sigyn swept up beside her father, linking her arm with his.

"How was your evening?" her father asked.

She glanced at her mother who looked to be bursting from the seams of her dress, "How was dancing with Thor?"

"It really wasn't anything-"

"Oh nonsense!" Her mother's laughter rung off the walls, "You both looked smitten! Imagine! You as the Queen of Asgard!"

Sigyn decided to ignore the rest of her mother's rant while mulling over what had transpired. If this was how she was meant to navigate her womanhood, she would beg her father to send her away so that she wouldn't act on the impulses she had almost fallen victim to tonight. Thor's kiss still burned her lips, but she was trying to imagine what it would have felt like to let Loki's jealousy consume her.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Jerking upright, Loki buried his face in his hands that slipped against his sweaty skin. He rubbed the crease between his eyes before lifting his head to the faint glow of sunlight that danced across the floor of his bedchambers. Crawling out from beneath damp sheets, he nearly tripped on the blankets he had thrown to the floor in his fitful sleep. He threw open the curtains of the window and squinted into the light of the morning, feeling fatigued from his dreams that left him tossing and turning.

She was at the center of every one of them, a silhouette in the dancing flames that licked his fingers when he reached out to touch her. But every time he thought he was close enough, he'd wake in a panic with no closure to the questions throbbing in his mind. How smooth was her skin after she bathed in oils? What taste would her lips leave once he stole a kiss? How would she hold him if he made love to her? What secret desires plagued her dreams at night?

Washing his face off with what water had been left in the basin by his desk, he resigned himself to another day of roaming the palace halls regretting how he had thrown himself at Sigyn six months ago. She was never the same after that, careful in being alone with him or his brother. She occupied herself with diplomatic meetings of the nine realms and sparring his father's soldiers. She made her stand that they were friends only, behaving as stubbornly masculine as she could.

He tied his robe loosely while slinking out of his room. If he was lucky, Thor was still asleep and he could enjoy breakfast in the silence without trying to fend off his brother consuming all that would be laid out. Rubbing his still drooping eyes, he let out a yell as something rammed its head into his stomach and sent him sprawling across the tile floors. A wet tongue slobbered on his cheek until he pushed his black furred assailant off himself, shaking his head when the wolf sat back on his haunches and pawed at his hand. Sparing the creature a scratch behind the ears, Loki smiled when he saw Sigyn's armor clad body race out from around the corner with another wolf on her heels.

"Bad Sköll!" She stood with her hands on her hips while the wolf lowered his head and whined, "You can't go running off like that!"

Loki stood up, adjusting his robe that had fallen open, though noticing her eyes fell to his bare chest for a moment, "Who are your furry companions?"

"Well, they're supposed to be mine." She snapped her fingers so both wolves were at her sides, "Sköll has green eyes and Hati has red eyes. They are my father's and are meant to listen to me, though Sköll seems obstinate."

"Or he just likes me better." Loki beckoned for Sköll to come a little closer, smiling when his hand was nudged by a cold wet nose, "Is this some rite of passage in your family?"

"Would have been had my mother given birth to a son. I think my father believes they'll serve as protectors for me."

"Well, I've seen you brandish a spear. I don't think you need much protecting." Loki cleared his throat, fidgeting with the tie of his robe as he felt the hallway become suffocating. When was the last time they were alone in such close quarters? He wanted to strip her of her armor and wash away the grime from her hours of training. He wanted to uncover the full curves of her hips and bosom that she fought to hide beneath masculine clothing, "What brings you to the palace so early in the morning?"

Sigyn flushed as he circled around her, shrugging her shoulders and shifting her feet to avoid bumping into him, "Thor asked me to spar with him."

He turned his back to hide the grimace that stretched across his face at the sound of his brother's name, "I didn't realize Thor preferred to get out of his bed by dawn."

"I suppose he had a good enough reason to be awake."

Loki shrugged, "I'd say you're a decent reason to wake up _every_ morning."

Sigyn's face beamed red and she sidestepped Loki to allow herself more distance in the hallway. Hati pushed his head beneath her hand as if to comfort her conflicting thoughts, "What do you mean?"

"Do you really not know?"

"Loki, I don't want to start this again."

"Start what again?" He laughed while leaning against the railing of the stairway, his robe undone and slipping aside to tempt a glance from her. Pleased to see her scoff through her blush when he caught her staring at the lines of his hips that trailed beneath his pants, he stretched his arms above his head in a mock yawn so she could see his abdomen flex, "My, my, Sigyn, is your face always that red after sparring?"

She wrinkled her nose, "You're becoming as irritating as Thor."

"Oh I doubt that." He stepped closer to her, arms trapping her against the railing as she went to move past him, "You didn't even give me a chance."

"That was six months ago, Loki. I have no interest in getting into another tangle with you or your brother-"

" _Another_ tangle? I wasn't aware we'd even had _one_."

She scowled, hands reaching up to push him back but withdrawing at the notion of touching his bare chest, "I meant tangle as in dancing or whatever happened in the hallway."

"That was hardly anything." He glanced over his shoulder when he heard Hati growl, watching the wolf sink low to the ground as if prepared to attack, "You could have let me kiss you at least."

"I don't think then was a good time for such a thing."

"Didn't want to spoil how Thor made you feel?"

"It's not like that." She shoved him aside to keep Hati from sinking his teeth into him. Snapping her fingers, both wolves strode to her side, "You have stalled me long enough. I have business to attend to."

Loki laughed, unintentionally snorting at the haughty air she wrapped around herself as a shield. He sketched a mocking bow to her, "My humblest apologies, Lady Sigyn, for delaying you."

She offered him no other words, just a flustered glance as she scurried down the stairway to wherever she was meant to go.

Deciding breakfast was no longer appetizing, Loki stomped back to his room all the more determined to shatter Sigyn's stubbornness.

. . . .

Plucking book after book off the shelves in a vain effort to find something she hadn't read, Sigyn looked around for a ladder of some sort so she could peruse the higher tiers of the bookcases. Glancing over her shoulder, she stifled her giggling as she caught sight of her two wolves basking in the sunlight peering in from the towering windows. Sköll's chin was propped up on Hati's stomach as his brother was laying on his side. She blew them both a kiss when they stirred and acknowledged her with one eye lazily fluttering open.

"Need assistance reaching a book?"

She muttered a couple curses under her breath when she blushed at the sound of his voice, deep and resonating off the library walls. Her wolves picked their heads up, but went back to sleep with the assurance she was in no danger, "I just need to find a ladder is all." She glanced at Thor as he stood beside her and lifted a book off the shelf above her fingertips. He handed it to her, but she didn't want to give him any satisfaction that he had found something she hadn't read, "I don't think this is what I'm looking for."

Thor chuckled, "How high must I climb to please you?"

"I suppose if you could reach the top of the bookcase…" She pretended to point out a book, "…that might elicit a reward for your chivalry."

"Before I risk breaking my neck, what reward are you considering?"

"Me taking it easy on you when we spar tomorrow morning."

He bellowed with laughter, "Hardly a worthy prize!" Leaning against the bookcase, he crossed his arms over his chest, "If I were Loki given such a task I suppose you'd be more willing to-"

Sigyn shoved him aside, face flushed scarlet, "What is with the two of you? I'd be no more inclined to kiss either of you should Ragnarök fall upon us tomorrow!"

His eyes were wide as he opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't find a suitable answer. Her haughty little temper could just fly off the handle whenever he tried being flirtatious with her. Where was the girl that so eagerly welcomed his kiss six months ago? He grabbed her wrist as she tried stomping past him, "Sigyn, I meant no disrespect."

"I'm not a prize to be won!" She wrenched her arm away, stumbling back a couple steps and bumping into Hati who had strode to her side, "Why can't we just go back to when we were friends?"

"It's not that we aren't!" Thor rubbed the crease between his eyes, "But it's hard to _only_ see you as a friend."

"I'm the same girl! I have attended diplomatic meetings of the nine realms, I have sparred half the AllFather's army, I have read most of this library all so that I will be named Lord General after my father."

He shook his head with a laugh that made her clench her hands into fists, "Perhaps you ought to look in a mirror sometime?"

"Meaning?"

"You aren't a _girl_ anymore, Sigyn." He heard Hati growl and put his hands up as a sign of peace, "You've grown to be quite lovely, and I apologize for my advances since I've begun to notice."

She sighed and patted Hati's snout to quiet his snarling, "I'm trying to hide the changes in my body…"

"Even in a warrior's regalia you're splendid!" Flinching when Hati barred his teeth at him, he took a step backward, "Your beauty would be fit for the next Asgardian king."

"That's what I'm afraid of." He lifted a brow while she slumped down to the ground with her back against the bookcase, Hati and Sköll resting their heads on her outstretched legs, "I'd rather limp into the throne room caked in the blood of my enemies while the poets sing of my deeds than be seated beside the King of Asgard draped in cloth spun from gold with a crown of rubies on my head."

Thor caught himself imagining her in a dress fitted to her curves with a plunging neckline, but pushed the thought aside while sitting down next to her, "You truly would reject being a queen?"

"Yes."

"Then I suppose my courting of you would be unwelcomed?"

She snorted with laughter at the thought of his attempts to woo her further, "Not unwelcomed per say." She leaned her head on his shoulder, staring off at the frescoed walls painted in reds, blues, greens, purples, and yellows, "It just wouldn't get you anywhere…"

He smiled to himself as she shut her eyes and slouched further against him. Hati, unpleased with being squished between them, crawled forward and slipped around to Thor's right. Watching the wolf closely, Thor gave him scratch behind his ears when he laid down beside him. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes as well and with the sun washing over his face as it set, he fell asleep soundly.

By the time Sigyn came to, the library was lit by candles and the sun had vanished from the windows. Lifting her head, she covered her mouth to silence her laughter when she saw Thor slouched next to her. He was snoring slightly and Hati had moved to lay his head on his lap. Her legs felt stiff as she stood and nearly tumbled against the bookcase. Snapping her fingers to bring Hati and Sköll to heel at her side, she blushed as Thor let out a yawn and slowly opened his eyes.

"Leaving without a goodbye?" He grimaced while standing, stretching his arms above his head, "You're as bad as the barmaids at the tavern-" He paused as she gave him a glare, one eyebrow raised, "Um…never mind…"

"A bit experienced, are we, Thor?"

"Not exactly." He rubbed the back of his neck and stared off to his left to avoid looking at her smirk, "It's only been trivial trysts, nothing meaningful or long lasting."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "So the Mighty Thor is still a virgin?" His face turned beet red while he sputtered incoherent words that were drowned out by her howling laughter. She was bent over clutching her stomach, "You boast such bravado I assumed you've had many women!"

Regaining his composure, he drew himself to his full height, "Perhaps I desire my first to be someone with minimal experience?"

Laughter catching in her throat, Sigyn bit her bottom lip until the words came to her, "I suppose that is an admirable sentiment." She gestured with a tilt of her head for Thor to follow her, walking out of the library and into the dark halls of the palace, "I get nervous just thinking about it."

"As do I." He glanced over her, but her eyes were focused ahead of her, "And yet it's a natural sacrament between a man and a woman that I find myself dwelling on."

"You don't suppose Loki has engaged in…" She chose not to finish her sentence when she saw his brother saunter around the corner with a smirk stretched wide across his face.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Loki jeered, holding onto the railing and dangling his feet above the main floors below, "Or would you prefer to gossip about my sexual trysts?"

Thor rolled his eyes, "I know better than to think you've done anything more than _chase_ a lovely woman."

Sigyn chuckled, earning a glare from Loki. She leaned her back against the railing where he sat and crossed her arms over her chest, "I could agree that Loki is more virtuous than you, Thor."

"More virtuous?" Thor seemed to find that an insult, "He wouldn't know what to do if a woman undressed in front of him."

Sigyn's face beamed red as she recalled the way he pushed her against the wall, hand covering her mouth while he spoke of his demanding nature. She had a feeling he wasn't entirely inept, or at least he had intentions that were impure. She wondered if he had acted on them with any other girl, and she began to feel envy's sting at the thought of him kissing someone else.

"Sigyn, my darling, where has your mind drifted off to?" Loki hummed, brushing a hand across her flushed cheeks. She immediately smacked his hand away, "Do share who you were thinking of!"

She shook her head and hissed, "I certainly wasn't thinking of either of you."

Thor swung his arm around her shoulders "You don't have to lie because my brother is the jealous type! I'm sure he'd understand if you were considering what is beneath my armor."

"Shove off." She nudged him aside, "I have no interest in seeing _you_ naked."

Loki snickered, "So you were imagining what would have happened if you'd stayed with me a bit longer this morning?"

"Stayed with him-?"

"He means talking to him in the hallway." Sigyn glared at Loki, who winked at her, "You may want to consider building more muscle, Loki. You're a bit skinny."

"Skinny?" He growled through the word, "I'm toned, there's a difference."

Thor slapped him on the back, almost sending him over the railing, which he clung to with white knuckles, "Don't take it to heart. Some women like femininely framed men."

"At least I'm not overcompensating for what's in my pants."

"What did you say?"

Sigyn stepped between them, a hand placed on both their shoulders to stall their coming to blows, "Now, now, Boys, you're both pretty." She laughed at their perturbed expressions, "I don't think discussing your manhood is needed while I'm still here."

"Oh, I think it's necessary if we're competing for your favor," Loki sneered.

Sigyn rolled her eyes while they began arguing again, tuning out their pointless jabs at one another and why they were better suited for her. But their squabbling reminded her of their younger years where sexuality was a taboo word and the closest they got to one another was wrestling in the garden. There wasn't time for reading into things or flirting with one another. There was only running away from the palace guards when they broke something or lying to their fathers if they were peeking through the treasures of the Trophy Room.

At least now she felt like they were back to stupid arguments and pointless competitions. She missed those moments, even when Thor and Loki would just go at it. Still standing between them, she reached out and hooked an arm around each of their shoulders then dragged them into an awkward hug. Loki was nearly yanked off the railing with his head bouncing off Thor's. They both grumbled under their breaths while Sigyn squeezed them tightly.

"Um…Sigyn, what are you doing?" Loki muttered.

She let them both go, a smile cracking across her face, "You two can be so irritating."

"Which is why you hugged us?" Thor quipped.

"I just miss the days when we would talk about pointless things, and you two would argue over your pride." She shrugged, "And even though you've put me in the middle of this, you're still my closest friends." Beckoning for her wolves to follow her as she began walking towards the staircase, she gave them one last glance, "So try not to forget that in your quest to outperform each other."

Once she was out of earshot, Loki hopped off the railing to stand beside Thor, "I advise you, my dear brother, to disembark from this quest to court Sigyn."

"Why is that?" Thor retorted, brows knitted together.

"You don't know how to handle her flippant temper."

"I am more than capable of handling a woman like her."

Loki rolled his eyes, "Trust me, Thor, she requires deft fingers to unravel her and a wicked tongue to silence her." He mused on his brother's narrow eyed glare, "Neither of which you have."

"You would harm her with your tricks and lies." Thor nudged him aside, "And trust that if you hurt her, you'll answer to me."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"Must they be so large, Bragi?"

"It is as custom. You've seen mine."

"But they look different on a man swelled with muscle." Iðunn ran her hands up her husband's chest, arms loosely wrapping around his neck as she kissed him, "They would encompass her!"

Bragi smiled, nuzzling her nose with his, "She would ask for nothing less, my love."

"At least let me try to talk some sense into her-"

"You're not going to convince me otherwise, Mother." Sigyn strode into the solar with Hati and Sköll slinking behind her. Dressed in a leather tunic over chainmail and brown leggings, sweating since she had been outside practicing her battle forms, she reveled in her mother's displeased expression, "I will proudly bear the sigils of Father's bloodline."

Iðunn shook her head with an exasperated sigh, "I am merely suggesting you allow them to be smaller." Reaching a hand out, she cupped her daughter's cheek, "You let scars and bruises, blood and grime mar your complexion. I am simply trying to keep another thing from ruining it."

Sigyn rolled her eyes, "Aren't I no less beautiful in a warrior's regalia? No less enchanting with sweat dripping from my forehead and my eyes blazing with a hunger for glory? No less your daughter when I speak of war as though it were my lover?"

"Those are all the reasons I fear I am losing you." Iðunn cast Bragi a woeful glance before leaving the solar.

Bragi cleared his throat, "You ought to be less harsh with your mother."

Sigyn scowled, "She's been trying to groom me into Asgard's next queen, and for what purpose? If she wanted it so badly why didn't she marry-?" She caught herself, flushing in embarrassment while her father sat down on a cushioned chair, "I'm sorry, Father. I spoke out of line."

"Your mother only wants to assure your safety." Bragi sighed deeply, rubbing the crease between his brows, "And who better to take care of our daughter than one of her closest companions?"

"They're practically my brothers!"

"That didn't stop you from kissing Thor…"

Her face turned a deep shade of red, "Why does everyone keep bringing that up!"

"Because you let half of Asgard witness it!" Bragi laughed.

"So I've sealed my fate by acquiescing to my first kiss?" Collapsing into a chair across from him, she slouched in as unladylike a position she could with her legs spread apart and her shoulders rolled forward, "It's not like I'm indulging in Thor's affections or the affections of any man for that matter!"

Bragi leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his chin propped up on his palms, "It would be a smart match, Sigyn. The Lord General's daughter and the AllFather's son."

"The AllFather has two sons."

"You know as well as I do that Thor will be named Odin's successor."

"So what you mean to say is Thor and I would be a smart match."

Bragi noticed a hesitation in his daughter's voice while he watched her stare off to the right as she wrinkled her nose, "Unless there's someone else you favor?"

Eyes tracing the patterned tapestry that hung on the wall, trying to put words to her conflicted emotions, she resigned herself to curtly replying, "I don't favor anyone, Father."

. . . .

Sucking in a shallow breath, her hands clenched into fists so tight her nails were cutting into the skin of her palms. The needle pressed harder into the skin of her back and earned a string of curse words, but she wouldn't scream. She focused on the thousands of ways she could die in battle, a fate much worse than enduring the ritual of Bragi's sigils being tattooed onto her back. Knees locking and the muscles of her shoulders twitching, she felt the leather straps holding her down onto the table tighten to keep her from moving.

She felt like she was suffocating from the incense burning and the candlelight slicking her skin with sweat. Pressing her forehead into the cold wooden table she laid across, she heard a woman's voice softly singing against the chanting of the sorcerers. With her eyes closed, she smiled at the sensation of water washing over her as the voice grew louder in her ears. It was a wistful sounding soprano, and it made the pain dull. No longer concerned about the sting of the needle as ink stained her skin, she dozed off.

When she came to, she was lying in her bedroom, sunk into the feather mattress and silken sheets. Sitting up weakly, grumbling from the numbing ache her back shot through her in protest, she pulled a blanket up against her bare breasts while wandering out into the hallway. She heard voices from her parents' antechamber, tiptoeing around the corner to peer through the crack in the door. It was difficult to make out their conversation, and when she went to knock she was pushed from behind. Head ricocheting off the door, she tumbled into the rug on the floor. She glanced over her shoulder to see Sköll's apologetic bow of his head as he slowly laid down.

"You're awake sooner than I expected." She allowed her father to pull her off the floor while still holding her blanket against herself, "How are you feeling?"

"Frail." Sigyn grimaced while lowering herself into a chair, careful not to lean back, "How long until they heal?"

"By tomorrow if you apply the salve I left you." Sigyn glanced to her left as a man draped in an indigo robe that appeared to have the constellations flickering each time she blinked. He had long black hair and beard that were peppered with gray. His eyes were dark as well, but held a kindness in them, "We have not met. I am Máni. My sister, Sól, and I orchestrated the ritual of your sigils being etched into your skin."

Sigyn bowed her head to him, just noticing that a delicate looking woman sat to his right. She had hair that looked to be spun from gold and eyes of bright emerald. She wore a blue long sleeved dress that shimmered with each shift of muscle as she adjusted the way she was sitting, "Thank you for blessing my rite of passage."

Sól smiled bright enough to blind her, "She's a sweet child. Were you not Bragi's daughter, I wouldn't have assumed you had a warrior's heart."

"You have your mother's beauty," Máni cooed before bringing his teacup to his lips and taking a sip. He chuckled to see her perturbed expression, "Do not mistake my compliment for ignorance of your skill in combat. I am merely insinuating the fortune you have for inheriting the redeeming features of your parents."

Sigyn flushed in embarrassment, glancing at her mother and father to offer them an apologetic glance, "What do the sigils stand for?"

Bragi leaned back and cradled his teacup in his hands, "You have been given a power far greater than you realize." He cast his eyes to Máni and Sól, almost sorrowfully, "With those markings you become the master of Sköll and Hati. You are their guardian, a guardian of Asgard to prevent Ragnarok."

"Prevent Ragnarok?" Sigyn's eyes were wide, "I don't understand."

"Perhaps I should explain, Lord Bragi?" Máni gave her a warm smile as he leaned forward in his chair, "Sköll and Hati have a long history with my sister and me. They will forever chase the sun and moon in a futile effort to catch us." He glanced sidelong at Sköll who was still lying by the door, "Should Ragnarok fall upon us, your wolves will succeed in devouring the sun and moon."

Sigyn nodded, "So I am to keep them at bay?"

"Precisely!" Máni flashed a crooked tooth smile, "With the sigils, they are bound to you. Should danger fall upon you, they will come to your aid. If the bond continues to grow strong, you can bring them to heel should Ragnarok attempt to end our world."

"That's easier with Hati than Sköll…" Sigyn narrowed her eyes on the wolf at the door, who buried his head beneath his paws in response, "Thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility."

Sól's eyes flickered with glee for a moment, "I daresay this shall be quite exciting!" She stood gracefully and bowed to Bragi and Iðunn, "My brother and I shall take our leave. Your hospitality was most generous."

Sigyn waited in the antechamber as her father led Máni and Sól to the front of their estate. Turning to face her mother, she noticed a faint tear trickling down her pale cheek, "What's wrong, Mother?"

"Just a mother's concern for the burden that my daughter must shoulder on her own." Iðunn stood and walked over to her, bending down to kiss her brow, "But I see in you a strength I didn't know existed until now."

Left by herself in the antechamber, Sigyn struggled to stand and waddled over to the standing mirror in the corner. Turning around and trying to look over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of the tattoo that covered her entire back and extended over her hips. Her skin was an inflamed red, swollen and scabbed, but pride eased the wounds as she thought over the task entrusted to her. Her reflection was soon joined by her mother, who was holding a cream colored tunic in her hands.

"I suppose you'll want to share this occasion with your friends at the palace." Iðunn held the thin material up to her daughter, "Try this on."

Sigyn weakly held out her arms and slid into the sheer tunic, tying the front of it. She was a bit embarrassed that depending on how she stood in the light, her breasts could be seen. When she examined herself in the mirror, she smiled at the open back of the tunic that framed her new tattoo, "This is splendid, Mother!"

"If you would let me dress you every once and a while, you wouldn't be disappointed by what I have in my closet." Iðunn opened a top drawer of her dresser, pulling out a pair of pale green leggings, "Put these on. I'll be back momentarily."

Grimacing at the color, but softening at the notion that at least she hadn't picked purple, Sigyn struggled her muscular calves and thighs into them. She had to jump and wiggle around to assure they completely covered her behind, lunging a bit to test the range of mobility in them. Satisfied with her efforts, she inspected herself in the mirror, though became distracted upon her mother's return, "I suppose these are meant to be suffocating?"

Iðunn rolled her eyes, "Oh, hush and hold out your arms."

Sigyn did as she was told, jaw dropping when her mother began tying a pair of shiny vambraces onto her forearms. Eyes looping around the engravings of Yggdrasil, she was unaware of the smile that dimpled her cheeks, "Where did you get these?"

"They were my father's." Her mother fastened the second one and stepped back to examine her, "They are more decorative than functional in battle, but I don't suppose you'll be off sparring this evening."

"Thank you." Sigyn wrapped her mother in a hug, "I will cherish them."

Iðunn kissed her on the cheek, "Be careful riding to the palace. If it gets too late, I'd rather you spend the night there."

Sigyn promised to be safe, tugging on her boots in a hurry as she went to the stable. Saddling her gray Arabian, she noticed that Sköll and Hati had followed her outside. As she swung herself astride her horse, she smiled down at them, "I ride for Asgard's palace." She urged her mount out of the stables where the winding cobblestone path leading down from the mountains stretched below her, "Try to keep up!"

Spurring toward the sun as began to set, she leaned further into the mane of her mare. The wind tossed her long braided hair back and forth, unraveling wisps that flew around her eyes. She glanced to her right and left, grinning to see Sköll and Hati racing one another. They urged each other on, breaking ahead of her mount to dodge between the trees surrounding them. Watching them made her wish for that same freedom, that same chase into endlessness. They became a blur of black fur until she neared the palace gates.

Hopping down from her horse, Sköll and Hati ambled up beside her as she stated herself to the guards. She returned their polite greeting while handing the reins of her mare to the stable boy. Near bursting with excitement, though trying to walk at a steady pace rather than run, she was reminded of the soreness in her back as the adrenaline from riding left her. As she ascended the stairs into the palace, she found her steps less eager and her muscles fatigued. Reaching the top step, she waved off Sköll and Hati as she sat down, not wanting their wet noses pressing against her cheeks. She felt as though she had endured the Battle or Jotunheim a thousand times over, breathing heavily and a cold sweat breaking on her forehead.

She laughed when Sköll nudged his snout underneath her hand, "I am as frail as a foal!" Collecting herself, she gently ran her fingertips over the crease between his eyes, "But you have no reason to fret."

Humming to herself as she tried waited for the wave of exhaustion to pass over her. She laughed at having arrived unannounced, sitting at the top of the stairway. If she had at least reached the library, it wouldn't have been so odd an occurrence since that was her usual hiding place. She gestured for Sköll and Hati to stay put while she snuck around, wanting to test if they would come to her at a distance. With a glance between the spires of the railing, craning her neck to glance below her, her quiet singing was halted as she caught a glimpse of him trudging back and forth in the hallway below.

There was something distraught in his movements, with the sharp turn of his heel, his mouth moving to form muttered words, and his hands raking through his unkempt hair. His loose undershirt shrugged on his slouched shoulders, untucked from his pants. Struggling to stand, she grasped the railing tightly as she began to walk down to him. She wanted to know what ailed him, what drove him to near madness. She paused to catch her breath, trying to ignore the sting in her back, though the pain turned to numbness when he looked over his shoulder and caught her standing there.

His lips twitched at the corners, revealing the faintest smile that soon turned to a crooked smirk, "Can't keep away for long?" He circled around to the stairway and slouched against the railing, "There must be something about me that has you coming back with bewilderment in your eyes."

Her face flushed with heat as she sputtered out a reply, "You fl-flatter your-yourself."

"You're dressed with a feminine glow." His eyes lingered on her chest and he licked his lips, "Hoping I would notice?"

Stumbling down the next couple steps, nearly tripping but grabbing the railing with both hands to steady herself, she loomed over him and snarled, "I don't care if you notice. I don't care if you even like how I look! Because it has nothing to do with you-"

He cut her off by taking a step up the stairway, bringing his height over her while dragging his fingertips from her cheek to beneath her chin, "But it's a titillating notion that seeing you dressed to accent your curves makes a beggar of this prince."

She bounced up on her toes, wanting to breach that last bit of space between them, "I don't consider this begging…"

Loki's lips were such a wonder to her all the sudden, the way he left his bottom lip protruding so close to hers, but that near desperate gleam in his eyes twisted his mouth into the most wicked smirk that made her heart stop. She always imagined his was a cold kiss, icy as those blue eyes that she was afraid to stare too long into, for fear she would never return from those depths. His hand falling from her face ripped the last shred of warmth in her body as she watched him drop to one knee, then the other while his hands slid up her thighs to rest against her hips. Muscles tensing beneath his touch, she bit hard on her bottom lip in hopes that pain would distract the satisfaction she had from seeing him below her.

"Is this better, Lady Sigyn?"

Reaching a hand out, she ran her fingers through his tousled black hair before trekking down along his jaw. She crossed over his bottom lip, gasping as the tip of his tongue tickled her fingertips. Before she could pull away, he took her wrist, kissing her palm and each fate line. The quiet moan elicited from her throat seemed to echo off the walls while he drew one of her fingertips into his mouth, sucking it for a moment, teeth grazing the skin as he stopped his ministrations that had left her dumbfounded with wide eyes.

"I-I…" She shook her head, yanking her hand away with enough force to almost send her flying, "You said you wanted me to beg."

"There will come a time for that." Loki traced over the tensed muscles of her thighs, moving closer between her legs until she stepped back, "Do you want me to grovel before you? Fill your ears with the ways that I dream of making love to you? Kiss away all these scars until your skin is soft as a rose petal? Pleasure you with gentle curiosity until your writhing beneath me?" He grabbed her chin and forced her eyes back to his as she tried to look away, "That demure, uncertain gaze of yours threatens to unhinge me. Let me make a queen of you in my bedchambers, let me be the throne from which you sit upon and demand my services."

She wasn't sure what had gotten into her, but she wanted to silence his silver tongue as her head was spinning, her chest heaving, her heart pounding, her body sweating. Seizing him by the folds of his loose undershirt, she yanked him into a tight lipped kiss. It hurt at first, as though tiny icicles were prodding at her skin and she was left naked in the middle of a winter storm. She was frozen by her own gesture that condemned her to his mercy. Slowly relieved of tension as his hands swept around her waist, she closed her eyes and let his mouth meld into hers, his tongue darting out to lick the corners until she allowed him to explore the warm crevices inside. A muffled gasp escaped her as she tried to relax against the odd sensation of his tongue running overtop hers, but she occupied herself by burying her fingers in his hair.

He hadn't embraced her to rid them of any notion of where he ended and she began, though his fingers kept digging into her hips to keep her from running off. Pushing her chest against his in a desperate attempt to close the remaining distance between them, she nearly cried out as his lips fell from hers to chide her.

"Tsk, tsk." His thumbs dug into her hips, tensing her again until she fell limp against him, now clinging to his shoulders, "You want it that badly?"

She turned her eyes up to him, a storm of passion and pride swirling in her gaze, "I won't beg for it."

His laughter stung her ears, "You aren't going to like when my patience is tested."

He pushed her up onto the railing, the sensation of falling clutching her stomach as she desperately clasped her arms around his neck. His mouth hit hers before she could shout in protest, tongue and teeth clashing in frantic search for the taste of her. She wanted him to touch her, to coax the warmth between her legs, but he suffocated her beneath each furious kiss. His hands moved along the small of her back, but when his palms pressed against her sigils, she tore her lips from his and screamed.

She tumbled over the railing and onto the tiled floor just below, grimacing through the pain. Her hair fell over her face while she squinted her eyes, only aware of the sound of howling and Loki's shouts. Struggling to her feet, she flung herself around the corner to see Sköll and Hati cornering Loki. She yelled something unintelligible, but the sound alone brought them to heel. Pointing to the stairway, she ordered them to stay on the bottom step while she limped over to Loki.

"Are you alri-?" Before she could finish, she saw the tattered sleeve of his shirt and the bloody wound beneath. Tears stung her eyes, "Loki. I'm – I should have told you-"

"Shh." He pressed a finger to her lips to stop their tremor, "It's a scratch. As a son of Odin you'd think I could handle such a trivial thing."

She turned her back to him and sat on her heels, "I meant to show you this as soon as I arrived. It stings to the touch..."

"You don't say."

He reached a tentative hand forward, fingertips barely caressing the thick black lines that reminded him of flames as they knotted together to create the image of two wolves. They started down by her hips and danced up the sides of her back, their snouts ending at her shoulders. One was barring its teeth while the other was howling. Between them, encompassing the middle of her back, were the sun and the moon surrounded by similar knotted designs, though it reminded him more of a river gushing over jagged rocks, "This compliments your already wild beauty."

"What does that mean?" she scoffed through a sniffle.

"Your beauty isn't found in Valhalla's halls." He touched her chin, beckoning that teary eyed gaze to his, "Your curves are the valleys between the mountains that most men wouldn't trod, your eyes the storm clouds that spark lightning but can pour down rain, your skin is soft as the wildflowers by the shorelines, and your voice thunders like the roar of the mighty river." He kissed her forehead, which earned a growl from her wolves that was silenced by her glare, "And I am so sorry, Sigyn, for hurting you."

"Your words are enough to earn my forgiveness a hundred times over," she whispered.

He grinned as she leaned onto her hands, her face inches from his, "You have this uncanny ability to drive me to madness. Though you've sated my restlessness this one night, there will be plenty to come where I wander these halls thinking of you."

Just smiling back at him seemed to glean the remainder of her strength. She reached out to him to steady herself, but collapsed against his chest in a heap of deadweight. Eyes wide, Loki teetered backward, arms tentatively wrapping around her waist. He glanced over at her wolves, who were slowly inching toward him, so he laid her down on the cool tile floor before standing to search for his brother. He had a feeling neither Sköll nor Hati would let him carry her to a bed.

He called out for his brother while checking every usual place he would find him: the dining hall, the courtyard, his room, the kitchens. He circled back around to Sigyn every few minutes of fruitless wandering, but Sköll and Hati had laid beside her and barred their teeth at him. Tiptoeing around them while grabbing his stinging arm, he decided to glance into the library, though he couldn't ever remember a time he caught his brother in there. He crossed his arms when he was met with empty space and the glittering gold bookcases that flickered in the candlelight.

As he turned around, he nearly toppled into Thor, who had decided to stand directly behind him. He rolled his eyes at his brother's laughter, but was more surprised to see a book in his hands, "Since when did you start reading?"

Thor blushed as he muttered, "Well…Sigyn has read most the books in here…" He rubbed the back of his neck and stared off to his left, "I thought I'd do the same."

"Mimicry is the sheerest form of flattery," Loki drawled.

"What happened to your arm?"

"I'll explain later." Leading Thor towards the stairway, he pointed to where Sigyn lay asleep on the floor, "I need you to carry her to one of our guest chambers."

Thor laughed, handing his book to him and puffing his chest out, "It takes a strong man to rescue the noble maiden fair."

"Oh, shut it." Loki glanced down at her wolves, who stepped aside to let Thor sweep his arms under her and pick her up off the floor. He'd deal with them later, "They attacked me. So I couldn't get near enough to help her."

Thor lifted a brow as they wandered down the hallway, "Why would they attack you?"

"I said I would explain later."

Thor narrowed his eyes, rounding on him, "You hurt her didn't you?"

"No, I didn't-"

"I warned you that you would answer to me if you hurt her!"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Loki pursed his lips, flustered that he became so defensive, "I accidently touched those markings on her back, and her wolves came running."

Thor continued walking toward a pair of mahogany doors, using his toe to push them open, "Then why aren't they attacking me."

"Probably because she's asleep." Loki pulled the blankets aside as Thor laid Sigyn down on the bed. Her wolves immediately leapt up to her side as he covered her, glaring at him until he held his arms up and began backing away, "This is rather cumbersome…"

"What were you doing in the hallway with Sigyn?"

Loki loved hearing that sound of jealousy in his brother's voice. His sly grin snuck across his face while his eyes flickered in amusement, "Oh, just entertaining a few curiosities." He tossed Thor's book at him, reveling in his small moment of victory.

"So you forced yourself on her."

Clenching his hands into fists, Loki narrowed his eyes on his brother. Thinking back on how they had gotten to that point of desperately kissing, finally sating the growing curiosity they had for each other. He needed to know she would be as willing with him as she was with Thor. He needed to know he could frustrate her long enough that something snapped inside of her. He needed to know she was mesmerized by that small demonstration of his sexual prowess. But even that wasn't satisfying enough, "She kissed me."

Thor's brow knitted together and he cast a quick glance at where Sigyn slept, "I don't believe you."

"Then ask her about it in the morning." Loki shrugged and turned on his heel, "I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince you otherwise."

Slipping further down the hallway, Loki stopped and leaned against the wall. He pressed his finger to his lips and closed his eyes, fighting through his memory to recall what it felt like when she yanked him into a kiss. His teasing had finally gotten the better of her, and the forcefulness with which she pressed her lips against his sent shiver down his spine. There was that feeling of his body being submerged in a frozen lake and she was the only bit of oxygen keeping him alive. He clung to that shred of warmth that was her body, afraid that if he let go he'd drown.

He wanted nothing more than to sleep beside her tonight, if even if just meant being near enough to her that he could smell the perfume of her skin and bask in the warmth she glowed in. That tender thought struck his chest as he dwelled on what it would feel like to wrap her in his arms as they slept, exhausted from a night of lovemaking and leaving the quiet of the night to lull away their worries. But he was brought back to his dreary world when his arm began to throb. Glancing down at it, he decided he needed to clean it as best he could tonight and see the healers in the morning.

As he slinked upstairs and to his chambers, he reminded himself to visit the library tomorrow to read into those wolves of hers.


End file.
